The Newest Casual Dining Franchise To Arrive In Panama

Another popular U.S. food franchise is coming to Panama. The casual-dining chain Cosi, specializing in flatbread sandwiches and salads, has scheduled one store to open later this year with four more coming in the near future.

An open-flame stone-hearth oven is the chain’s featured element, along with flatbreads made from scratch, fresh ingredients, and “distinctive sauces and spreads to create edgy flavors,” according to promotional materials. The franchise’s efforts in Costa Rica have met with enough success to encourage further expansion.

“We are proud to have Fast Casual Ltda., our franchise partner in Costa Rica, now developing into the Republic of Panama,” Cosi chief executive R.J. Dourney said in a statement. “They have been outstanding business partners since 2012, and together we see this as further establishing the foundation for Cosi to penetrate Central America and beyond in the years to come.”